Oxidative aromatic ring cleavage of 3,5-di-t-butylcatechol, with total insertion of molecular oxygen, catalysed by 2,2′-bipyridine–iron(<scp>II</scp>) complex

Abstract

The oxidative aromatic ring cleavage of 3,5-di-t-butylcatechol (1) by molecular oxygen to give the lactone (2) is catalysed by a non-enzymatic iron(II) complex co-ordinated by 2,2′-bipyridine and pyridine.